Undercover Boss coming (again) to TEN

TEN has announced it will screen the US version of CBS reality series Undercover Boss, based on the UK series of the same name.

The US show which follows high-level chief executives working anonymously beside rank and file employees follows TEN promising a domestic version would appear in 2009.

The show followed Super Bowl in the US this week, giving it a huge 38.6m viewers in the US, enabling it to instantly be dubbed the highest rating premiere of a reality show on record.

While working alongside their employees, executives see the effects their decisions have on others, where the problems lie within their organisation and get an up-close look at both the good, the bad and the unsung heroes within their companies. The first “boss” was Waste Management COO, Larry O’Donnell. The show has attracted positive reviews.

TEN confirms acquiring both US and local format rights for the show. Here is what the network promised for an Aussie version which never appeared in 2009:

Undercover Boss: Every boss thinks they know what’s going on, but do they? Undercover Boss challenges a boss to go on a voyage of discovery into their own company with the aim of discovering what’s not working in the business. Normally surrounded by spreadsheets and immersed in high level board meetings, bosses across the country will find themselves cleaning toilets, working as a waiter, dealing with irate customers, unblocking drains and doing late shifts in the kitchen. But whilst they’re rooting out problems, they’re also looking to find and reward hidden talent and celebrate the unsung hero among their employees.